Apparatus for toning a person's buttocks

Abstract

An apparatus for toning an exerciser's buttocks comprises, a base having a front end region and a rear end region; a seat guide; and a force-transmitting mechanism for supporting the seat guide on the base for guided movement under tension from a raised position, along an forward inclined trajectory in which the seat guide is continuously lowered in elevation to a lowered position. The exerciser sits on the seat guide and controls its downward and upward motion by tensioning and thereby exercising the users gluteus maximus, medius, and gluteus minimus muscles.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for toning an exerciser's buttocks, comprising:
 a base having a front end region and a rear end region, whereby, during use, the exerciser's feet exert a force on a weight-shifter located at the front end region; a platform; 
 a seat guide; and 
 a force-transmitting mechanism for supporting the seat guide on the base for guided movement under tension from a raised position in which the seat guide is situated at a higher elevation above the rear end region of the base, along an inclined trajectory in which the seat guide is continuously lowered in elevation and continuously moved toward the front end region of the base, to a lowered position in which the seat guide is situated at a lower elevation above the base wherein the base has an elongated channel extending between the front and rear end regions; 
 and said force-transmitting mechanism includes a scissor linkage, wherein the scissor linkage has a bottom link, wherein a first end of the bottom link is movable along the channel during the guided movement of the seat guide, the first end of the bottom link being moved toward the front end region and a second end of the bottom link being moved toward the platform when the seat guide is moved from the raise positioned to the lowered position. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the force-transmitting mechanism is adjustable. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of handles on opposite sides of the force-transmitting mechanism for gripping by the exerciser's hands to assist the exerciser in maintaining balance during toning. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the force-transmitting mechanism includes a spring to which the bottom link is operatively connected. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising an adjustable tensioning assembly. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the adjustable tensioning assembly comprises a threaded rod, a washer threaded on the rod for travel along the rod bearing against one end of the spring, and a knob for rotating the rod such that the washer travels along the rod to vary the compression of the spring. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the scissor linkage is a parallelogram linkage. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for toning an exerciser's buttocks, comprising:
 a base having a front end region and a rear end region, whereby, during use, the exerciser's feet exert a force on a weight-shifter located at the front end region, wherein the base has a platform on which the exerciser stands during toning; 
 a seat guide adjacent and above which the exerciser's buttocks are positioned during toning; 
 a pair of handles on opposite sides of the seat guide for gripping by the exerciser's hands to assist the exerciser in maintaining balance during toning; and 
 a force-transmitting mechanism for supporting the seat guide on the base for guided movement under tension from a raised position in which the seat guide is situated at a higher elevation above the rear end region of the base along an inclined trajectory in which the seat guide is continuously lowered in elevation and continuously moved toward the front end region of the base by pressure exerted by the exerciser's buttocks, to a lowered position in which the seat guide is situated at a lower elevation above the base, wherein the force-transmitting mechanism includes a scissor linkage and a tensions spring for restoring the seat guide to the raised position upon release of the pressure exerted by the exerciser's buttocks.